For a better environment

The Ministry of Environment is actively involved in combating environment hazards and violators of health and environment regulations, and that is to be commended.

The ministry spokesperson recently said that in January alone, 44 factories and vocational workshops were closed or received warnings for breaking health and environment rules.

Violations include littering, disposal of debris and waste water in a manner that is inconsistent with the ministry’s regulations and failure to rectify the status of some of these entities within the given grace period.

The public, more aware of the importance of a clean environment, but also fed up with breaches that threaten its health and wellbeing, is cooperating in the effort to safeguard its health and the country’s environment. The ministry, for example, received 35 complaints last month, which prompted its inspection teams to take action.

The citizens’ involvement in the national efforts to keep Jordan’s health and environment standards high is encouraging. But it would be equally heartening to see people act in a way that does no damage to the environment.

Not only by drawing attention to pollution and irregularities, but also by displaying civic awareness: refraining from littering or cutting trees, recycling, regularly maintaining their vehicles to prevent fuel emission, for example.

And what about the liberal use of pesticides and insecticides, mostly in agriculture, hazardous to life and clearly an impediment to the export of produce?

Or smoking, the vexing problem “regulated” on paper, but still a violation in practice in many public places.

The alarming rates of cancer and other diseases are a condemnation of the insufficient official effort to combat health and environment dangers.

The ministry is trying to control some of the situation, but a lot more needs to be done as many of the violations of the standards it sets remain undetected and unreported.

Above all, the law governing conduct in public spaces must be rigorously enforced.

As for industrial and agricultural cases, more inspection units, which means expanding the ministry’s resources, are needed and more awareness campaign have to be carried out among the population at large.

A clean country means good health. The cost involved in operating clean factories and workshops or in quality agriculture will, on balance, prove its worth.